In my role as Ambassador for The Southbanks G.P.S Project I am adding to the following site…
It’s a site for found poetry – I’ve uploaded stuff ’found’ in my bedroom – check it out
August 20, 2009
New poems
I have five new poems in “Read me at School” published by Macmillan and edited byGaby Morgan. This is a fantastic anthology with poems for every day of the year. Available in all good bookshops.
My featured poems are…
How to kill a poet
Hamster! Hamster!
Make it bigger Eileen
Miss Flotsam
Lace Trouble
Check em out!
August 20, 2009
Goldilocks and the Three Bears
I’m currently co-writing an adaptation of Goldilocks and the Three Bears with Jonathon Lloyd for Polka theatre. Writing another childrens play has been great fun and a welcome break from the little annoyances of life that have to be sorted out on a regulare basis such as broken compute, Tv, Computer, phone upgrades TAX dreaded awful TAX!!!! etc etc. The play will open on Wednesday 21st October at Polka Theatre in Wimbledon – if you have any little-uns be sure to take em along.
http://www.polkatheatre.com/whatson.asp?showID=318&theatreID=1&view=
June 4, 2009
Sponsor ME!!!!!
I’ve just had last minute confirmation that there is space for me to do the BHF London to Brighton 2009 on 21/06/2009 to raise money for British Heart Foundation. It would be great if you could help me reach my target – since I’ve only got two weeks to fundraise I’m aiming to get around £250. Please take a moment to sponsor me. It’s really easy – you can donate online by credit or debit card at the following address: http://www.justgiving.com/poetryjoe All donations are secure and sent electronically to British Heart Foundation. If you are a UK taxpayer, Justgiving will add an automatic 28% bonus to your donation at no cost to you. Please join me in supporting British Heart Foundation and a fabulous cause! I will be writing poems in response to the experience so do expect many new poems very soon.
February 1, 2009
Oily Cart
I recently collaborated with Tim Webb on Oily Cart Christmas Show ‘How Long is a piece of String’ The show has had great reviews which can be checked out at the sites below. It was such fun to work on you can follow my postings on the process as well as some additional stories from the world of the show at…
Reviews…
http://www.thestage.co.uk/reviews/review.php/22946/how-long-is-a-piece-of-string-
http://www.guardian.co.uk/stage/2009/jan/24/review-how-long-is-a-piece-of-string
http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/stage/theatre/article5415505.ece
http://thescotsman.scotsman.com/features/Oily-Cart–Two-ends.4877092.jp
More info on Oily Cart
http://www.oilycart.org.uk/early_years/current/
February 1, 2009
Bear – Update
Following The success of the scratch performances of Bear over 2008 I’m now organising a re-write of the piece into an hour long play. Bear fever has struck and I have found myself reading about the various types of Bear around the world. I spent new year in India and was hoping to see a Sloth bear whilst on a safari. My partner and I got dangerously close to one – or so we thought as our guide motioned at us with wide eyes to stay back as he tentatively peered into the bush where a large creature could be heard moving. We stayed back hearts thumping in our chests starting to regret our enthusiasm in coming safari despite a lack of appropriate footwear and armed with nothing more than big sticks. The noise got louder and closer until a very skinny man emerged from the bush with fire wood in hand. Despite the relief felt I still want to see a Bear in the wild
February 1, 2009
Battered Suitcase
I have a poem featured this month online in Battered Suitcase just follow the link…
http://www.vagabondagepress.com/90201/V1I9P1.html
October 10, 2008
Video Conferencing – on National Poetry Day
Yesterday was National Poetry Day and I had the pleasure of running two workshops through video conferencing with around 30 schools and many others who viewed online. The theme for the day was work and I took it upon myself to create a live national poem about ‘our favourite jobs’ the young people that took part were fantastic and came up with some fantastic lines incorporating the poetic devices that I challenged them with my personal favourite being ‘ Models flick their flaming red hair’ and of course ‘Poets are orange monkeys that wear pants on their heads except on tuesdays’. It was wonderful to be able to interact live with students across England and Wales and Ireland!!! and to watch as Sandra Agard, Jila Peacock and Tom Whitehead shared their their artforms.
August 7, 2008
Big Chill Festival – Performances
Friday afternoon I was hosting for two of the greats Jean Binta Breeze and Zena Edwards – Audience gathered as Jean related some amazing dub poetry and Zena silked in our ears with that voice like melted butter and her Kalimba.
Saturday Lunchtime i’m in the kids tent performing to a splattering of youngsters poetry about school – one piece ‘School disco’ inspired a young man to get on stage and bless us with his break dancing.
Saturday night I’m back at the ‘Words In Motion’ tent performing an abridged version of ‘Bear’ – my one man play to an audience in the pitch dark.
Sunday I sit in on a workshop led by Jasmine Cooray in the Roundhouse Tent and lay down a piece by means of example of performance to the young-uns before shooting off to try and catch Bill Bailey.
Sunday night – I’m performing ‘Bear’ again, again in the dark. A massive bonfire had just been lit outside and we had to wait before entering the tent for fear of floating burning ash landing on the tent.
For highlights check out…
http://www.guardian.co.uk/stage/audio/2008/aug/05/big.chill.podcast?gusrc=rss&feed=networkfront
May 30, 2008
Children’s theatre
Today I will take a short reprieve from the arctic as I don my hat of children’s playwright. I am off to the Imaginate Children’s Festival (on the night train!) and plan to cram in 8 plays in two days! I can’t wait to see what other international companies are doing with children’s theatre at present. Over the last couple of months I have had great fun poetically responding to Oily Carts new show Pool Piece. Myself and Aoife Mannix will be spending four days with the Oilies and six regional artists provided by TheatreIs to create a bespoke performance for a pre and post verbal audience. a blog of our process experiences and poetry can be found at www.applecart.wordpress.com
